If you rent your home, our online form will also check if you're entitled to Housing Benefit.

We will make a decision on your claim when we have all the evidence we need. We'll contact you if we need further information.

We will send you a letter to tell you our decision.

What you’ll get

How much you get depends on:

your personal circumstances

how much money you have coming in

what savings you have

whether there are any non-dependants in your home

How you will receive your Council Tax Support

If you're entitled to Council Tax Support, the letter we send will confirm how much per week you're entitled to. We'll calculate how much this weekly award amounts to over the rest of the financial year, and take this off your Council Tax bill. We'll send you a revised bill stating your new instalments, and what you need to pay (if anything).

Claim dates and backdated claims

Your claim will usually start from the Monday after we receive it.

If you are pension age, we will backdate your claim for up to three months. You must provide details of your income and capital for the period before you claimed.

If you are under pension age, you must state on your claim form or write to us if you want us to backdate your claim. You must give a valid reason why you were unable to apply for your benefit earlier. We look at each case individually.

The maximum period a benefit claim can be backdated is one month from the date we receive the request.